ATTACK ON ECL A RUMOUR – IG

…but Eastern Province Minister Peter Phiri confirms former President Lungu was in fact attacked, claims not by UPND cadres but unknown angry youths 

By PRISCA LUMINGU in Mambwe

INSPECTOR General of Police Graphael Musamba has claimed that the attack on former President Edgar Lungu by the UPND cadres in Malambo is but an exaggerated rumour because according him, the former head of State was accorded the best courtesy by the ruling party zealots.

But in sharp contrast, Eastern Province Minister Peter Phiri has confirmed the attack on former President Lungu, except he has claimed that those who harassed him were not UPND cadres but angry unidentified youths.

Mr Musamba when contacted to comment on the attack former President Lungu suffered at the hands of the UPND cadres, said the former head of State was never harassed and was allowed to peacefully be part of the Malaila Traditional Ceremony.

He said reports about the attack on former President Lungu were only emanating from people whom he claimed wanted to be heard by saying things that did not happen.

Mr Musamba said according to the briefing from his police officers in Mambwe, former President Lungu was well received at Mfuwe Airport and that there were no attempts to block him by either the police or the UPND cadres.

He said it was not possible for the UPND cadres to attempt to attack former President Lungu because Rodney Sikumba, the Minister of Tourism who was representing President Hakainde Hichilema was in constant contact with the police command at the ceremony.

“That is not the briefing I got from my police officers. Unless you are telling me that they lied and I have never known them to lie. What I know is that it was rumoured that he (former President Lungu) was going to be stopped but he was allowed to attend the ceremony. People tend to exaggerate things when they want to be heard…they say things that are not there. They (UPND cadres) gave him (former president Lungu) his rightful place and everything went on well,” Mr Musamba said. 

And when pressed that in fact the images from Mambwe were showing that the UPND cadres caused a rumpus in an attempt to block him from attending the Malaila ceremony, Mr Musamba said he was not aware.

Mr Musamba requested that the images showing the UPND cadres in confrontation with the police and blocking former President Lungu’s motorcade be shared with him and immediately after the videos were sent to him, his mobile phone was switched off.   

However, Eastern Province Minister Peter Phiri in an interview confirmed the attack on the former head of State but claimed the harassment was conducted by unidentified youths who he said were angry for unknown reasons.

Mr Phiri said the UPND as a political organisation did not have cadres but members and that those who attacked former President Lungu were not members of the ruling party because they were not in the regalia of the ruling party.

“It is sad to say that those who attacked ECL (former President Lungu) are UPND cadres. In the UPND, we do not have cadres but members. How could you tell they were UPND cadres because I did not see any UPND regalia? I do not know the people who attacked the former President,” Mr Phiri said.

Mr Phiri said after there was an attempt to attack the former head of State, the chiefs summoned him and other senior government officials to remove the youth who were making “a small” noise.

“There is order in the country. We should thank President Hakainde Hichilema for ensuring that there is order in the country. We greatly respect ECL (former President Lungu) because he is a statesman. So it is wrong to say he was attacked by UPND cadres. Say he was attacked by unknown youths. I was very far when the fracas happened,” Mr Phiri said.   

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